Contrary to Albert's claims, the results of previous studies do not favor a perceived contrast model over a ratio-of-perceived-contrasts model (see Points 1-3 below and our main response). Realizing that a simple perceived contrast model leads to predictions that violate "common sense," Albert postulated a division of the continuous dimension of…

In models of visual word identification that incorporate inhibitory competition among activated lexical units, a word's higher frequency neighbors will be the word's strongest competitors. Preactivation of these neighbors by a prime is predicted to delay the word's identification. Using the masked priming paradigm (K. I. Forster & C. Davis, 1984,…

Models of compensation for phonological variation in spoken word recognition differ in their ability to accommodate complete assimilatory alternations (such as run assimilating fully to rum in the context of a quick run picks you up). Two experiments addressed whether such complete changes can be observed in casual speech, and if so, whether they…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the 226-Hz probe level on the acoustic stapedius reflex threshold. Method: Contralateral reflex thresholds for a 1000-Hz pure-tone stimulus were obtained from 40 young adults with normal hearing using an experimental system at four 226-Hz probe levels (70, 75, 80, and 85 dB SPL) with…

This study investigated functional differences in the processing of visual temporal information between the left and right hemispheres (LH and RH). Participants indicated whether or not a checkerboard pattern contained a temporal gap lasting between 10 and 40 ms. When the stimulus contained a temporal signal (i.e. a gap), responses were more…

The current article reports the first attempt to test the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP), as a group-based measure of natural verbal relations, using both response-latency and event-related potentials as dependent variables. On each trial of the IRAP, participants were presented with 1 of 2 attribute stimuli ("Pleasant"…

In reaction time (RT) research on nonspecific preparation, the preparation period is often identified with the foreperiod (FP), the interval between the offset of a neutral warning stimulus (S1) and the onset of the reaction stimulus (S2). However, the "effective preparation period" may be longer than FP: nonspecific preparation may start prior to…

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have documented sensory processing difficulties across the lifespan; however there is limited empirical support for the sensory-based interventions that have become ubiquitous with the population. This study was conducted to address this need and examine the effect of sensory-based interventions on…

The present study examined the perception of Mandarin disyllabic tones by inexperienced American English speakers. Participants heard two naturally-produced Mandarin disyllables, and indicated if the two were the same or different. A small native Mandarin-speaking control group participated as well. All 21 possible Mandarin contrasts where the…

Background: Previous studies have found simultaneous increases in skin conductance response and decreases in heart rate when normally fluent speakers watched and listened to stuttered speech compared with fluent speech, suggesting that stuttering induces arousal and emotional unpleasantness in listeners. However, physiological responses of persons…

Adolescence is an evolutionarily conserved developmental phase characterized by hormonal, physiological, neural and behavioral alterations evident widely across mammalian species. For instance, adolescent rats, like their human counterparts, exhibit elevations in peer-directed social interactions, risk-taking/novelty seeking and drug and alcohol…

Person detection is an important prerequisite of social interaction, but is not well understood. Following suggestions that people in the visual field can capture a viewer's attention, this study examines the role of the face and the body for person detection in natural scenes. We observed that viewers tend first to look at the center of a scene,…

Using the same-different task, Perea, Dunabeitia, Pollatsek, and Carreiras (2009) showed that digits resembling letters ("leet digits"; e.g., 1 = "I", 4 = "A") primed pseudoword strings (e.g., "V35Z3D-VESZED"), but letters resembling digits ("leet letters") did not prime digit strings (e.g.,…

Conflict adaptation effects refer to the reduction of interference when the incongruent stimulus occurs immediately after an incongruent trial, compared with when it occurs after a congruent trial. The present study analyzes the key conditions that lead to adaptation effects that are specific to the type of conflict involved versus those that are…

The central amygdala nucleus (CeA) plays a critical role in cognitive processes beyond fear conditioning. For example, intact CeA function is essential for enhancing attention to conditioned stimuli (CSs). Furthermore, this enhanced attention depends on the CeA's connections to the nigrostriatal system. In the current study, we examined the role…